Rotary printing press



Aug. 24, 1937. c, CRAFTS ET AL 2,090,939

ROTARY PRINTING PRES 3 Filed Sept. 13, 19:54 5 Shets-Sheet 1 I NTORS 4 I ATTORNEYS 1937- c. s. CRAFTS ET AL 2,090,939

ROTARY PRINTING PRES S Filed Sept. '15, 1954 5 Sheets-Shet 2 "QIQM I ATTORNEYS 1937- c. s. CRAFTS ET AL 2,090,939

ROTARY PRINTING PRES 5 Filed Sept. 13, 1954' .5 Sheets-Sheet s Aug. 24, 1937. c. s. CRAFTS Er AL ROTARY PRINTING PRESS 5 Sheets-Sheet 4 Filed Sept. 13,- 1934 Ill lN TORS p- ATTORNEYS 1937-. c. s. CRAFTS ET AL 2,090,939

ROTARY PRINTING PRES S Filed Sept. 13, 1934 I II I I J06 I 92MT0R5 ATTORNEYS 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 Patented Aug.-

UNITED STATES ROTARY PRINTING PRESS Curtis S. Crafts and Charles Alonzo Harless, Oak Park, 111., assignors to The Goss Printing Press Company, Chicago, 111., a corporation of Illinois Application September 13, 1934,- Serial N... 743,818

12 Claims.

The invention relates to new and useful improvements in rotary printing presses, and in certain of its features more particularly to improvements in bearings, aligning and registering means 5 for removable and replaceable rotogravure cylinders, including wear compensating means, and

demountable, and replaceable wear-compensating driving means for such cylinders.

Objects and advantages of the invention will 10 be set forth in part hereinafter and in part will be obvious herefrom, or may be learned by practice with the invention, the same being realized and attained by means of the instrumentalities and combinations pointed out in-the appended 15 claims.

The invention consists in the novel parts, constructions, arrangements, combinations and improvements herein shown anddescribed.

The accompawing' drawings, referred to herein and constituting a part hereof, illustrate one embodiment of the invention, and together with the description, serve to explain the principles of the invention.

f the drawings:

Fig. l is a sectional view of shaft bearing devices and endwise registering means for a rotogravure cylinder, taken on the line l.l of Fig. 3;

Fig. .2 is a section taken on the line 2-2 of Fig.3, with certain parts in elevation;

Fig. 3 is a full elevation looking at Figs. 1 and 2 from the right; Fig. 4 isa section of the shaft bearing means and the driving means for the opposite end of the cylinder, and is taken on the line 4-4 of 35 g.

Fig. 5 is an elevation, with parts in section and parts broken away, looking at Fig. 4 from the left;

Fig. 6 is a detached elevation, with parts in 40 section and parts broken away, of the driving gear and attached parts; and

Fig. '7 is a detached detail of the taper gear gaging cap shown in Figs. 4 and 5.

The present invention in many of its features 45 is especially directed to improvements in rotogravure printing presses, and in one of its main aspects the invention provides mounting and journal supports which are absolutely rigid when in place, which will maintain accurate alinement 50 of the shaft, will not lose effective and accurate fit by wear due to recurrent removal and replacement, and which are nevertheless easily and rapidly removable and replaceable to meet the requirement of dismounting the rotorgravure cyl-,

55 inders from and re-inserting them in the press for each press edition. The invention in another of its important features is directed to improved means for effecting endwise registration of the cylinder in the'press, such means being simple, sturdy and accurate, and likewise capacitated'to operate in connection with the cylinder mounting provided by the invention. In another of its main features, the invention provides driving' means for the cylinder especially adapted to bedetached from and attached to the cylinder shaft at the recurrent removals and insertions of the cylinder, the detachment and attachment of the drive being'easy and simple, and the driving means always maintaining true with the shaft and automatically compensating for the abnormal wear causedby the recurrent dism'ounting and remounting of the driven j In our present preferred embodiment, considering its general features, the journals for the printing cylinder shafts are mounted in tapered,

and preferably conical supports which fit into correspondingly tapered openings in the press frame, the tapered members being accurately and powerfully moved longitudinally to bring them into uniform and accurate position on the press frame and with respect to each other to always maintain a close. and accurate fit in the press frame and like alinement for the ends of the cylinder shaft. Cooperating therewith are means. for the quick and easy insertion and removal of the bearing and alining means both with respect to the cylinder shaft and to facilitate the removal from and the reinsertion in the press of the printing cylinder.

In accordance with our invention, the longitudinal or axial registering means for the cylinder is of simple and sturdy construction, affording precise registration of the cylinder, the mechanism being quickly and readily movable into and out of operative relation with the cylindershaft to meet the need for quick and simple removal and reinsertion of the printing cylinder and of the bearing members for the cylinder shaft. In the present embodiment the registering means engages the end of the cylinder shaft, and screwthreaded means operate to accurately register the cylinder, the registering means then being locked in position. This mechanism is easily and quickly moved out of operative relation with the cylinder and swung to one side forthe removal and reinsertion of the cylinder bearing members and of the cylinder itself.

In the embodied driving means, generally considered, a gear having an elongated hu'b'is attachable to the cylinder shaft by feather keys,

and the gear hub and shaft are likewise provided with relatively movable conicalclamping members, which clamp the gear flrmly to the shaft with accuracy and security irrespective of wear in the hub, the shaft or the keys, due to frequent removal and replacement. In accordance with one feature of the invention, the cylinder shaft ends are reversible or interchangeable and adapted to cooperate with either of the mechanisms described.

It will be understood that the foregoing general description, and the succeeding detailed description as well, are exemplary and illustrative but not restrictive of the invention.

Referring now in detail to the embodiment of the invention illustrated by way of example in the accompanying drawings, I and 2 are the side frames of the press. These side frames are provided with alined recessed openings 5 through which the shaft. ends pass as the rotogravure cylinder is inserted in position in the press forprinting and removed from the press to change the design. In the embodied form of our novel bearing or journal means for the shaft ends of the rotogravure cylinder, the recesses 5 open into enlarged tapered openings 3 and 4 in the press frames, these openings being preferably of conoid or truncated cone form, the taper'decreasing inwardly. The rotogravure cylinder is indicated by 8 and its shaft ends 9 and it are prefe ably interchangeable between the drive and the side lay mechanisms. The journal-supporting mountings'o'r bearing members i4 (Figs. 1, 2, and 4) are of the same shape and size as the press frame openings 3 and 4 and accurately flt within the illustrated conoid openings 3 and 4 in the side frames of the press.

They are moved into tight flt in these openings so as to flt accurately and to always center the shaft, notwithstanding wear incident to the frequent removals'and replacements of the cylinder. the embodied means for moving the bearing members l4 into and out of tight fitting, centered and alined relation with respect to the corresponding openings in the press frames, and to hold them flrmly in said relation, comprises (Figs. 2 and 3) flanges i5 and 16 extending outwardly from an annular member II which is the outer part of the bearing member l4 and is connected to the inner part by screws ll. Cooperating with the diametrically-disposed flanges l5 and it are corresponding slottednuts i9 and 2|, the flanges extending into the slots in the nuts, these nuts being of U-shape, and working in correspondingly-shaped recesses 2| and 22 in the press frame so that the nuts are free to move 1ongitudinally, but are held against rotation as'their bolts are turned. The nuts are mounted respectively on stud bolts 23 and 24 between the nut heads and collars 25 and 26, pinned to the bolts, whereby the nuts move longitudinally with the bolts, the bolts being threadedinto the press frame. Thus, by turning the bolts 23 and 24 the inwardly tapered members l4 are pressed powerfully and accurately into the correspondingly shaped and sized openings in the press frame, and the shaft bearings are accurately centered and flrmly held. By turning the bolts in the opposite direction, the bearing members i4 may be quickly and powerfully moved outwardly out of the close contact with the openings 3 and 4 in the press frame.

Means are provided for disengaging the shaft bearing members l4 from the slotted nuts 20 and bolts 24, preparatory to removing the bearing members from the shaft ends, and also for re-engaging them after the bearing member is replaced on the cylinder shaft. As embodied, said means comprises (Figs. 1, 3, and 4) a pair of handles 22 and 30, diametrically disposed and attached to the plate II by screws 28. By grasping the handles 29 and 20, the pressman rotates the bearing member i4 suiflciently to clear the flanges II and it from their respective nuts I! and 20, as shown in dotted lines in Fig. 3, the flanges moving in corresponding slots 3i and 32 in the press frame. The bearing member is then free and may be slid along and off from the cylinder shaft.

The journal bearings for the cylinder shafts 9 and ill (Figs. 1 and 4) are mounted within the bearing members l,4, and as embodied, roller bearings are provided, having a long inner race 40 shrunk on a diminished shoulder portion of the shaft, the inner edge of the race abutting on a shoulder 42 formed on the shaft. The outer flanged race 43 is mounted within the member l4, its inner flanged face abutting on a shoulder 44 formed on the interior of member l4. Oilseals are provided and on the inner side, as embodied, a flexible collar '45 is held fast to the shaft, and forms a seal thereabout, within a recess in the inner face of the conoidal member l4, and this inner recess is closed by an annular plate 46 encircling the cylinder shaft and fastened to the inner face of member l4 by screws 41. The oil seal on the outer side is formed by an annular groove between two flanges 40 and 50 formed on the inner face of the plate II, the inner flange abutting circumferentially upon the bearing race 40, and the outer flange abutting the outer face of the outer flange SI of the outer race 43.

The embodied means for effecting registration of the rotogravure cylinder (Figs. 1, 2, and 3) is capaeitated to move the cylinder axially in its bearings by screw-threaded devices, and to lock the parts in the desired registered position. The entire mechanism is also movable, by swinging about its shaft, away from the cylinder shaft to permit the removal of the bearing member l4 from the shaft. Said embodiment comprises a deep-groove double-roll ball bearing H, which takes both a radial and a thrust load. The inner race 62 of this bearing is mounted on a cylindrical sleeve 63 and abuts against the inner enlarged or flange portion 65 of the sleeve. This enlarged end of the sleeve flts into acylindrical recess formed concentrically in the end of the shaft 9 and III. A cap screw 66 through the sleeve 62 into threaded engagement at 61 with the cylinder shaft, the cylindrical portion 4 of the cap screw head abutting on the outer side ofthe inner 'ball race .62, thus holding the sleeve and inner race flxed to the shaft. The outer race it of the ball bearing is mounted in a cylindrical recess in the head 15 of the side lay arm 14, the recess being closed by an annular cap Ii, which encircles the head of the cap screw 66 and is fastened to the head 15 by screws TI. The hollow parti-cylindrical head I. of the side lay bracket encloses the end of the cylinder shaft, and is open on one side to clear the cylinder shaft when the arm 14 and the parts mounted thereon are swung away from the cylinder shaft.

The arm 14 is mounted to be moved laterally to register the cylinder and to move angularly into and out of operative relation with the cylinder shaft. As embodied, the hub ll of the arm 14 is mounted on a shaft 42, which shaft is rotatably mounted at 84 in the side frame I of the press. The outer end of shaft 82 is Journalled in a fixed bracket 85, which bracket is fastened to the press side frame by bolts 88. A crank 81 is fixed to the outer end of shaft 82. The hub 8| has internal screw-threaded engagement with a screw thread on shaft 82, as shown at 88, and cooperating therewith are means for locking arms 14 and shaft 82 together in the proper registration position for the press cylinder. For this purpose, as embodied, the outer portion 9| of sleeve BI is angularly slotted, and a locking bolt 92 is loose in lugs 93 and 94 at either side of the longitudinal part of slot 9|. A handled nut 95 is threaded onto the outer end of screw 92, and by turning the handle a part turn the hub and shaft may be locked together or may be loosened so that the hub 8| and arm I4 may be screw fed along the shaft. The member 95 formed on hub 8| coacts with a face 91 on the bracket 85 to hold the arm HI in either operating or retracted position, shown in full and dotted lines in Fig. 3.

Referring now to the present preferred embodiment of the drive for the printing cylinder, as previously stated, the two cylinder shaft ends are interchangeable, and they are accordingly so shown. In said embodiment (Figs. 4-7) a gear IN is mounted on the drive end of the shaft, its elongated hub I02 being connected to the shaft by feather keys |03, I04. The inner and outer ends of the bore of hub I02 are beveled or coned, as shown at I05 and I05. When the hub slips on to the shaft, the inner bevel I06 engages with a beveled ring I09 fixed on the cylinder shaft,

and abutting on the journal bearing member 40 and the shoulder in the shaft. A resilient slotted cap III is mounted loosely with the gear IN, and

is adapted to inclose the outer end of the cylinder shaft. The outer face of the inner edge of the cap is of outwardly enlarged conical form as shown at I I5. The part H5 is adapted to engage with the outer bevel surface I05 of the hub bore of the gear wheel. The cap III is held loosely' to the hub by means of a flanged ring I I6, bolted to the hub by bolts III, the flange II8 being 5 outside of and overhanging the shoulder H0 of the cap III. A tap bolt I2I passes through a central aperture in the cap I I I and is screw-threaded into the end of the cylinder shaft. There is a washer I22 between the bolt-head and the cap, 5 and a collar I23 is pinned to the bolt within the cap, the collar passing freely into a concentric cylindrical recess in the end of the cylinder shaft.

When the bolt is screwed in, the cap III is moved inwardly, and the hub is clamped firmly between 55 beveled part 5 of cap I" and the bevel ring I09 fixed on the cylinder shaft, and thus the gear isfirmly fixed to the shaft irrespective of wear in the hub and the shaft due to the recurrent removal and replacementof the drive and the 60 cylinder.

The invention in its broader aspects is not limited to the specific mechanisms shown and described but departures may be made therefrom within the scope of the accompanying claims 5 without departing from the principles of the invention and without sacrificing its chief ad vantages.

What we claim is: I

' 1. A rotary intaglio press including in combi- 7 nation a side frame having a recessed and slotted opening for removal of the rotogravure cylinder, said opening terminating in a tapered bearing-receiving opening, a'taper'ed shaft-bearing member slidable on the shaft of corresponding 75 size and shape to the tapered frame opening, and

means for forcing the tapered face of the bearing member into tight centered engagement with the tapered face of the'frame opening.

2. A rotary intaglio press including in combination two side frame members having respectively recessed and slotted openings for removal of a rotogravure cylinder, each of .said openings terminating in a tapered bearing-receiving opening, two tapered shaft-bearing members of corresponding size and shape with the tapered frame openings axially movable on the shaft, and means for forcing the tapered faces of the bearing members into tight centered engagement with the tapered faces of the corresponding frame openings to bring the ends of the cylinder shaft into accurate alinement.

3. A rotary intaglio press including in combination two side frame members having respectively alined recessed and slotted openings for removal of a rotogravure cylinder, each of said openings terminating in a tapered bearing-receiving opening decreasing inwardly, two tapered shaft-bearing members adapted to receive the two ends of the cylinder shaft for sliding and rotary movement and of corresponding size and .shape with the tapered frame openings, and

means for forcing the bearing members when about the cylinder shafts inwardly into tight centered engagement with the tapered faces .of the corresponding frame openings to bring the ends of the cylinder shaft into accurate alinement.

4. A rotary intaglio press including in combination a side frame member having a tapered circular opening communicating with an openended slot, a tapered circular shaft-bearing member slidable on the shaft, and means equipped with screw threads for forcing the tapered circular surface of the shaft-bearing member into tight centered engagement with the corresponding surface of the frame opening while permit-.

ting sliding movement of the shaft in the bearing.

5. A rotary intaglio press including in combination a side frame member having a tapered circular opening communicating with an openended slot, a tapered circular shaft-bearing member slidable on the shaft, and means for forcing the tapered circular bearing member axially into tight'centered engagement with the corresponding surface of the frameopening to aline the shaft bearing while permitting sliding movement of the shaft in the bearing.

6. A rotary intaglio press including in combination a side frame member having a tapered circular opening communicating with an openended slot, a tapered circular shaft-bearing member slidable on the shaft, and means equipped with screw threads for forcing the tapered circular bearing member axially into tight centered '7. A rotary intaglio press including in com engagement with the corresponding surface of the frame opening to aline the shaft bearing bination a side frame having a tapered circular opening'communicating with an open-ended slot, a tapered circular shaft-bearing member slidable on the shaft, means for forcing the tapered circular bearing member axially into tight centered engagement with the corresponding surface of the frame opening to align the shaft bearing while permitting sliding movement of the shaft in the bearing, and means for moving the tapered circular bearing member angularly to permit removal thereof from the press frame.

8. A rotary printing press including in combination a frame having a slotted aperture to receive a shaft bearing, a design cylinder, a radial shaft bearing in said frameaperture and removable therefrom to permit lateral removal of the design cylinder by movement of its shaft ends through said aperture, a thrust bearing at the end of said shaft, a support for the thrust bearing means for removing said support and thrust bearing laterally to permit lateral removal of the design cylinder.

10. A rotary printing press including in combination a frame having a slotted aperture to receive a shaft bearing, a design cylinder, a radial shaft bearing in said frame aperture and removable therefrom to permit lateral removal of the design cylinder by movement of its shaft ends through said aperture, a thrust bearing at the end of said shaft, a screw-threaded connection between said thrust bearing and said shaft, 9.

support for the thrust bearing and means for removing said thrust bearing and support to permit lateral removal of the design cylinder.

11. A rotary printing press including in combination a frame having a slotted aperture to receive a shaft bearing, a design cylinder, a radial shaft bearing in said frame aperture and removable therefrom to permit lateral removal of the design'cylinder by movement of its shaft ends through said aperture, a thrust bearing at the end of said shaft, a screw-threaded connection between said thrust-bearing and-said shaft, a support for said thrust bearing, a pivotal mounting for said support about which it is movable to permit endwise removal of the design cylinder from the press.

12. A rotary printing press including in combination a frame having a slotted aperture to receive a shaft bearing, a design cylinder, a radial shaft bearing in said frame aperture and removable therefrom to permit lateral removal of the design cylinder by movement of its shaft ends through said aperture, a thrust bearing at the end of said shaft, a support for the thrust hearing and means for removing said support and thrust bearing laterally to permit lateral removal of the design cylinder and means for effecting axial adjustment of said thrust bearing.

CURTIS S. CRAFTS. CHARLES ALONZO HARLESS. 

